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What is SanBenito.com?
SanBenito.com is the website of the Hollister Free Lance, a local news outlet serving Hollister, San Juan Bautista and the surrounding San Benito County area in California. It publishes community journalism across news, business, crime, schools, politics, opinion and sports, along with local obituaries and a community events calendar. The site also hosts reader participation features such as letters to the editor, article ideas, event submissions and advertising inquiries.
Its most practical use is for residents who want county-level coverage they are unlikely to find in regional or national outlets: city council and mayoral races, police staffing decisions, school district hiring, and high school sports recaps. Someone deciding how to vote in a Hollister council election, for example, could read the candidate profiles and letters, then check the events calendar for a forum. A local business or nonprofit would more likely use the advertising, sponsored content or public notice sections.
Access is partly subscription-based, with a subscribe page and an e-edition for the print paper. Casual readers can browse headlines and some stories; regular readers who want full local coverage should expect to subscribe. As with any single local outlet, treat opinion pieces and letters as labeled commentary rather than reporting, and cross-check major civic stories against primary sources such as council agendas or meeting minutes.
A useful next step: start with the section matching your need—News for civic developments, Obituaries for family notices, or Calendar for events—rather than the homepage feed.
How do I subscribe to the Hollister Free Lance or San Benito Live e-edition?
Subscribe through the Subscribe link on SanBenito.com. The site's navigation lists "Subscribe" alongside "E-edition," "Advertise," and "Contact," so that is the entry point for both the print newspaper and the San Benito Live e-edition.
What to expect on the subscribe page
- Options for home delivery of the Hollister Free Lance and for the e-edition.
- Any current promotional rates, which change often and are best read on the page itself rather than assumed.
- A way to manage an existing subscription or report a delivery problem.
Practical tips before you sign up
- Decide which format fits your routine. Print suits readers who want a paper at the breakfast table; the e-edition suits people who travel, read on a tablet, or want same-day access without waiting for delivery.
- Check the coverage area. Home delivery is generally limited to Hollister, San Juan Bautista, and nearby parts of San Benito County. If you live outside that zone, the e-edition is usually the workable choice.
- Look for a trial or short-term rate if you are unsure, then decide whether to continue.
- Ask about vacation holds if you travel, so print delivery pauses rather than piles up.
For a concrete example
A Hollister resident who wants local council, school, and crime coverage plus the weekly sports roundup could take the print edition and use the e-edition as a backup when away. A former resident who moved out of the county but still follows local politics would likely be better served by the e-edition alone.
If the subscribe page does not answer a question about delivery or billing, the site's Contact page lists the office address (615 San Benito Street, Suite 210, Hollister) and phone number for direct help.
How can I submit a letter to the editor or an article idea?
Use the Letter to the Editor or Article Idea link in SanBenito.com’s Opinion menu, or the “Have an Article Idea?” link in the site header. For letters, expect the paper to ask for your name and contact details so it can verify the submission; for article ideas, a short pitch is more useful than a full draft.
For a letter to the editor
- Keep it tied to a recent local story or issue—Hollister, San Juan Bautista or San Benito County matters are the natural fit.
- State your point in the first sentence, then give one or two supporting facts or a personal experience.
- Include your full name and a way to reach you; publications commonly confirm authorship before printing.
- Disclose any relevant connection to the topic, such as being a candidate, organizer or affected resident.
For an article idea
Send a brief pitch rather than a finished article: the topic, why it matters now, who is affected and what information or interviews you can provide. If you have documents, photos or a firsthand account, mention them. A calendar or event listing belongs under Submit an Event, and paid promotional content has separate paths under Advertise and Sponsored Content—those are not editorial submissions.
Choosing the right route
| You want to… | Use |
|---|---|
| Respond to coverage or argue a local position | Letter to the Editor |
| Suggest a story, profile or investigation | Article Idea |
| Publicize a community event | Submit an Event |
| Promote a business or announcement | Advertise or Sponsored Content |
| Publish a legal notice | Public Notices / Legals |
As a next step, draft a three-sentence pitch or a 150–200 word letter, then submit it through the Opinion link and keep a copy. If you are unsure whether your item is editorial or promotional, ask the newsroom through the Contact page before submitting.
Where can I find local obituaries and submit an obituary for San Benito County?
Obituaries for San Benito County are published on SanBenito.com, the Hollister Free Lance's local news site. The site organizes obituaries into two sections—current obituaries and archived obituaries—so you can look up a recent death notice or search past listings.
To submit one, the site provides a dedicated "Submit an Obituary" option along with a "Writing Your San Benito Obituary" guide. That guide is the practical starting point: it explains what information a submission typically needs (full name, dates, family, service details) before you fill in the form.
Choosing the right path
| Your goal | Where to go on the site |
|---|---|
| Find a recent obituary | Current obituaries |
| Look up an older listing | Archived obituaries |
| Submit a new obituary | Submit an Obituary (read the writing guide first) |
| Reach the newsroom with questions | Contact |
A useful next step: draft the obituary text in a plain document—name, age, hometown, survivors, service time and place, and any charity for memorial gifts—then paste it into the submission form. Families often find it easier to have one relative write the draft and another review it for accuracy before submitting, since corrections after publication can be awkward.
How do I advertise or place a legal/public notice in the Hollister Free Lance?
For advertising or legal/public notices in the Hollister Free Lance, use the site's dedicated submission pages rather than the general news tip form. SanBenito.com carries both an Advertise link and a Public Notices / Legals section, plus a Media Kit and Place an Ad link — those are the paths to start with. If you prefer to talk it through, the publisher lists a Hollister office at 615 San Benito Street, Ste 210, and a phone number, 408.842.6400.
Which path fits your need
| What you want to publish | Where to start on the site | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Display or print advertising, inserts, sponsored content | Advertise / Place an Ad / Media Kit | The Media Kit is the place to check formats and deadlines before you commit |
| Legal notice (fictitious business name, trustee sale, probate, etc.) | Public Notices / Legals | Confirm the required publication dates for your notice type before submitting |
| A community event listing | Submit an Event (or Promote Your Event for paid placement) | Free listings and promoted listings are separate tracks |
| A letter or opinion piece | Letters / Submit a Letter | Editorial, not advertising — no cost, but subject to selection and editing |
| An obituary | Submit an Obituary | Separate from both ads and legal notices |
Practical steps
- Decide whether your item is paid advertising, a legally required notice, or editorial content — each has its own form and timeline.
- Open the matching page and read the Media Kit or legal notice instructions for deadlines, word limits and required affidavit details.
- For anything time-sensitive (a notice with a statutory deadline, or an ad tied to an event date), call the office to confirm the deadline rather than relying on the web form alone.
- Keep proof of publication: for legal notices the affidavit of publication is often what a court, agency or lender actually needs, so ask how and when you receive it.
A concrete example: a Hollister business filing a fictitious business name statement needs it published in a qualifying local newspaper for the period the county requires. That means checking the Public Notices page for the submission process, confirming the publication schedule by phone, and requesting the affidavit once it runs — not simply submitting a news tip.
For context on the local market, the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce at San Benito County Chamber of Commerce can point to local business resources, and the County of San Benito at County of San Benito is the authority on what a legal notice must contain.
How can I submit or promote a community event on San Benito Live?
SanBenito.com provides two distinct paths for getting a community event in front of local readers: a free submission route and a paid promotion option. The site's navigation lists both Submit an Event and Promote Your Event under its Calendar section, so the first decision is whether you want a standard calendar listing or extra visibility.
Choosing the right path
| Your goal | Path to use | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Get a basic listing on the community calendar | Submit an Event | A straightforward submission, typically reviewed before publishing |
| Give an event more prominence | Promote Your Event | A promotional placement, usually a paid service |
| Reach readers through editorial coverage | "Have an Article Idea?" or a Letter to the Editor | Not guaranteed; editorial staff decide what to cover |
A practical approach
Start with Submit an Event and include the essentials: event name, date and time, location, a short description, and contact information. If the event is a fundraiser, a public meeting, or something with broad community interest, also use the "Have an Article Idea?" link to flag it to the newsroom—separately from the calendar submission.
For events where attendance or sponsorship matters, compare the cost of Promote Your Event against the value of the added visibility. The site also offers advertising and sponsored content options through its Advertise and Media Kit pages, which may suit larger campaigns better than a single event promotion.
Local context
SanBenito.com describes itself as the home of the Hollister Free Lance and covers Hollister, San Juan Bautista, and the surrounding county. Its calendar and "Best of San Benito" sections suggest an audience looking for local happenings, so events with a clear San Benito County connection—school functions, civic meetings, local sports, and community fundraisers—fit the site's focus best.
As a next step, open the Calendar section on SanBenito.com, choose Submit an Event, and prepare a concise description plus a photo if the form allows one.
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